child-abuse prevention targets fathers

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OrlandoSentinel.com

Child-abuse prevention targets fathers

By Kate Santich, Orlando Sentinel

1:03 AM EDT, April 19, 2013

Following the recent arrests of two Central Florida fathers for extreme child abuse, local officials have launched an initiative to give new dads and male

caretakers more parenting support.

"There are a lot of classes and programs out there for

expecting and new moms — and understandably so," said Carrie Hoeppner, spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Children and Families' central region.

"But historically, there hasn't been much for men. We know from statistics that the male caregiver figure is

more prone to demonstrate violence towards a child in response to stress or feelings of being overwhelmed."

At a news conference in Orlando this morning, DCF

officials are expected to deliver a message on the importance of responsible fatherhood and to challenge local nonprofits and faith-based organizations to get involved. In the past decade, a growing amount of research has linked absent fathers with

increased risk of infant mortality and childhood poverty as well as higher rates of incarceration and aggression as those kids grow up.

"I want to tell young fathers: 'You're going to make mistakes, but it's not an excuse to stay gone and not face your children,'" said 30-year-old Derrick Stephens, a former foster child who will speak at today's event. His father committed suicide when Stevens was still in grade school, and the first of his

own three children was born when he was 19 and single. "Unfortunately, that's what a lot of guys do. I didn't get it right all along either. But you learn."

Classes and support groups seem unlikely to stop the kind of egregious abuse alleged in the two most recent cases: Police say a Tavares high school teaching assistant starved an 11-year-old girl in his care until she weighed just 40 pounds, and an Apopka man was arrested for murder after his 15-month-old

daughter died from repeated beatings and burns. But child-welfare workers say education can prevent more typical cases in which young dads simply become frustrated and lose patience.

"Some men don't know that you never, ever shake a baby," said Linda Sutherland, executive director of the Healthy Start Coalition of Orange County. "They get frustrated if they can't fix a problem right away, especially if it's a crying baby. We have to teach them: Expect to be frustrated a lot as a parent."

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Nationally, more than 40 percent of babies are now born to unmarried mothers, making it especially

important to try to involve fathers as early as possible, Sutherland said. Men are most likely to make an enduring connection with their children if they're present at the birth.

Five years ago, Sutherland's agency began offering a free program called Boot Camp for New Dads

— a highly successful model now used internationally. But it had no steady funding for a project director or advertising until 2011, when the Heart of Florida United Way stepped in with a three-year

grant. Since then, the program has spread to Seminole County and is the fastest-growing Boot Camp franchise in the country.

So far, about 1,000 men have gone through the program.

In a single three-hour class, they learn what to expect in the labor and delivery process, how to be supportive of their baby's mother, how to handle and diaper their babies, and what to do when their

little ones won't stop crying.

"It takes a lot of the mystery out of having a baby," said Bryan Nelson, program coordinator for Boot Camp for New Dads Orlando and a father himself. "We have our veteran dads — the ones who have

already been through our program — come back with their children so the fathers-to-be can see that it's not rocket science. They see it's something they can do too."

Some of them, he said, have never held an infant before — let alone fed, diapered or been responsible for one.

But is three hours enough to make a lasting difference?

Supporters say yes — but that more options are needed. The only long-term project available —Young Fathers of Central Florida, launched in 2005 — targets teen dads and would-be dads in a series of programs that can last for months or even years. Started by 53-year-old Haki Nkrumah, an Army

veteran with a long history of social work, the nonprofit organization not only tries to educate young fathers but to help them finish school and find jobs to support their families.

"When these guys have a chance to put food on the table and buy Pampers for their children, that makes them feel like men," Nkrumah said. "They can take pride in that."

But funding for his efforts has been sluggish. While Walt Disney World supports his six-month Teen

Fatherhood Academy and a city of Orlando grant helps underwrite his pregnancy-prevention program, Nkrumah said he could help hundreds more if he had the budget. As it is, about 250 teens and young

men up to age 24 enrolled in his programs last year. All have waiting lists.

"We want to change the mindset and the culture of irresponsibility in this community," he said. "And this is the group we need to reach to do it. They're the ones out there continually [making] children

and then taking off."

[email protected] or 407-420-5503

Focus on fathers

Child-welfare advocates will hold a briefing and panel discussion on fatherhood at 10 a.m. today at Orlando City Hall. For information on Boot Camp for New Dads, see healthystartorange.org.



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